Context is King

Yesterday I had a terrific time doing my first round of visitations as a part of Mentored Ministry. Today is the day of my first speech for Foundations of Proclamation. I love the way ministry experience spills over into classroom experience in seminary. Yesterday I just prayed with people, and it was wonderful. It was really great. Some where in good nursing homes, and others were in less polished nursing homes. The point is we prayed with everyone everywhere. At the end of the day I felt good, but physically drained. Prayer is such an awesome gift from God.

In today's 3-4 minute speech I have to talk about some way God has touched my life in the last six months. Well, the baby hasn't arrived yet so I'm going to talk about prayer. I had planned to talk about the importance of context, but as I prayed about it, I began to see context in a different perspective. What if context is not about physical location? What if context is more like something from the Billy Joel song "New York State of Mind?" It occurs to me the context of ministry has very little to do with location, and in some instances very little to do with the specific people I might try to minister to. If I focus on those things then it becomes about the same old me, myself and I. I do not have the ability to effectively minister to anyone. Every time I try it is because my ego has become over inflated again. For me there is nothing more frustrating than trying to help someone else only to fail because I was trying to work by my own authority, or by my own skill. Talk about ego.  Yesterday, as I was going with my mentor to do hospital visitations it occurred to me the context of ministry is prayer. Paul told the church at Thessalonica to "pray without ceasing." I think that's some advice I should follow a little more closely.

God's Patience

I have to give a 3-4 minute speech Tuesday for PR501 Foundations of Proclamation. It's a personal witness speech about some way God has ministered to, or spoken directly to me in the last six months. I'm in seminary. God has called me to vocational ministry. This should not be hard. Yeah. I drew a blank. The seminary experience by it's nature is hectic. Add to that a loving wife and a baby on the way and it creates a lot of static which can make it harder to hear that still small voice. Thankfully God is not above using repetition. God used an angel to turn Balaam's donkey to the side three times. God told Joshua not to be afraid three times. I've lost track of how many times Jesus corrected Peter. This is similar to my call. People from out of the blue started asking me when I was going to seminary. It happened at a Bible study. It happened on the Walk to Emmaus. Some of the people who asked me this question where people I knew, and others were people I'd only met in passing. They are not the reason I chose to accept God's calling. They were just God's way of getting my attention. Over the last year God has been using that same technique to get my attention again. It started with Dr. Arnold in Exegesis of first and second Samuel when he said, "Context is King." That made sense for exegesis, but I heard it again in Pastor and Church Discipleship the following spring. This semester I have been beaten about the head and shoulders with this message in Foundations of Proclamation, Teaching the Whole Bible to Youth and Adults, Mentored Ministry, and in some ways even in History of American Methodism. There are so many instances where context could be important, and it would appear God is trying to make sure that message has been made very clear to me.

How Majestic is His Name...

This morning I am concerned the illustrations on this blog will give some pause to wonder about my calling. After all if District Committees and Conference Boards of Ordained Ministry didn't try to put the screws to me I'd have to wonder whom else they let through without checking. I'd really just like to make this plain.

I love God, and I am amazed at his creation. As Psalm 8:3,4 puts it, "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established: what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them (NRSV)?" God has a wonderful and awe inspiring creative spirit. For reasons that are His alone He has seen fit to give me a bit of that same spirit. I tried making a career out of using those gifts, but it didn't work. I almost quit drawing because of that experience. However, God used this gift to help me to recover, and has encouraged me to keep drawing. I am still trying to work out how God would like me to use this gift for his Kingdom, but creative communication has appeared on every spiritual gift inventory I have taken.

I have absolutely no doubt God has called me to ordained ministry. As an elder in the United Methodist Church I will do everything I can to serve God, my family, the church where I have been placed, and then if I have a little time I may squeeze in a little time to draw. If God shows me ways to use this gift to benefit His kingdom I will gladly do so. For me it's no different than helping a class room understand a difficult passage of Scripture on their own terms or stopping to help a motorist with a flat tire on the side of the road. I love God, and will serve Him gladly.

Nice to know I've still got it...

Winnie the Pooh & Friends Praying

...but what I've got is still up for debate. This is the illustration I did for our baby's room. The prayer on the right is the one my folks taught to my brother and I. The characters from left to right are Eeyore, Rabbit, Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Tigger. They're all praying with the exception of Eeyore. He's looking at everyone else. Tigger is bouncing on his tale in the background because if anyone in the Hundred Acre Wood is Pentecostal it's probably Tigger.

The Unexpected

Unexpected - 1. not expected or anticipated; 2. causing surprise or wonder or amazement
eg. A boy walking through the woods was unexpectedly attacked by a wood burning stove with an ax to grind.

The unexpected is often difficult to handle. We get our lives all set in the direction we want to go, and then POW out of the blue our plans get changed. Here's just one good example from the Bible. Joseph was having wonderful dreams of being raised up to rule over his ten older brothers, when they attacked him and sold him into slavery. It happened to me to! I had this good job working as a product designer. Sure I was struggling a little, but I thought if I just kept my head down, and kept on plugging I could work through the difficulties. God was calling me to something else. Joseph held to his faith, and God blessed him; making him overseer of all Egypt. After a difficult walk through the wilderness God brought a wonderful woman into my life. He has guided me to seminary, where I am now married with our first baby due any day. Our lives do not often turn out the way we plan, but if we hold to our faith they will turn out as God intended. To do that means deciding to look to God when things get hard.

WWJD

God is absolutely worthy of living our lives to suit Him. To live as Christ lives brings joy, peace and contentment. American culture encourages rugged individualism with the ethic of he who has the most toys at the end wins. The American dream as it is cast today, the hunt for more stuff, fame and fortune, me me me the individualist does not bring any of those things. Sometimes I fall into that trap. When I am furthest from Christ I question myself, and my confidence falls. When I am furthest from Christ I want to huddle together with people I know and ignore those I don't because I want to feel safe and secure. I know there are times when I've been over bearing, short, callous, defensive, or talked way too much; all because I was afraid of either ridicule, or being made fun of, or just making mistakes and letting people down. I don't think I'm alone. I think that's part of the reason why most churches are so clickish. The apostle Paul had something to say about this kind of fear. "Only let yourselves be worthy of the gospel of Christ[.]" In my life I have felt very little comfort in possessions; although I find myself longing for them from time to time. I have felt more fear and dread when I have focused on me, myself and I, than on top of any mountain or hanging from any rock wall. My greatest place of comfort is with Christ surrounded by those who love Him as much as I do, and usually more. I have felt best about myself when I am reaching out to others for the Kingdom of God. It isn't about me. Thank God it's not all about me...

The Mountain of God

In the Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis the boy Eustace and his classmate Jill are transported to Aslan's mountain in the world where Narnia lives. After Eustace is blown to Narnia by Aslan, Jill is given a specific set of instructions. She is specifically told the air upon the mountain is clearer, but down in Narnia it is much thicker and it will be difficult to hear the voice of Aslan.

Here in the real world, away from works of fiction, the Christian walk is full of mountain top experiences. Many people have them, if only once in their lives. These experiences touch us in deep emotional ways. Unfortunately we do not remember emotions as well as we are taught to remember ideas and facts. We may remember what happened, and not be able to relive the sensation. I think this is very similar to what C.S. Lewis was trying to communicate in the Silver Chair.

Jesus spoke to this problem in Luke 21:34-36 when he tried to teach the Sadducees who were testing Him. Jesus told them to watch their hearts so they will not become confused by this world. The air is very thick here in the real world. We have all kinds of distractions, specifically in American society. These distractions are a trap. Do not be seized by them. Please do not forget there is a place where the air is clear, and you can hear Jesus' voice very clearly right beside you.